Support for victims of domestic abuse

VL Aesthetics, based in Kingstown, is inviting people to donate toiletries, skincare, and beauty products to the scheme which is called Regifting Beauty.

The products will then be donated to Project Freedom, a west Cumbrian domestic abuse support group, and to Carlisle Food Bank.

Vanessa Brown, managing director of VL Aesthetics, said: “Beauty products and toiletries are essentials that many of us take for granted but when women are in crisis they become luxuries that are out of reach.

“This is a simple way that we can help people going through a difficult time.”

The Freedom Project has helped thousands of people fleeing domestic violence since it was set up 22 years

ago.

Project Freedom works with victims, children, and perpetrators to offer counselling and support.

Children who have been helped by Project Freedom counsellors found that they felt safer and more capable of dealing with an unsafe situation.

Vicky Pike, project manager at Freedom Project, said: “Very often they have fled home – they have literally had to leave everything and take the children.

“Many have nowhere to go and they have to access foodbank vouchers to feed themselves and their children.”

Vicky said: “When they leave, they just don’t have the money for things like toiletries. To be able to offer them this would be amazing, and I know how much they will appreciate it.”

Figures released in December by the Office of National Statistics revealed that domestic violence cases in Cumbria had increased by 113 per cent since 2016/2017.

Between 2016/17 there were 2,703 domestic abuse-related crimes recorded by police.

This figure had increased to 5,764 by 2018/19.

Last year, Cumbria Police released figures showing that there had been 7,402 incidents of domestic abuse as of mid-December.

The campaign will run until the end of January with donation boxes at the Kingstown clinic as well as at other local businesses.

To support the campaign, contact VL Aesthetics.